Drug monitoring program worth saving

Less government. Less state regulation. Less government intrusion in our every day lives. These are important values we share. However, these values should never trump efforts that save thousands of lives each year. We understand that the fiscal challenge our state faces requires a thorough and thoughtful review of all state programs and initiatives. However, it is important that state leaders weigh programs like the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program before cutting, or eliminating, them because in this instance, the PDMP will save thousands of lives.

Passage of the PDMP in 2009 by the Florida Legislature was the first important step taken to battle the growing "pill mills" plaguing our state, especially in South Florida. Eliminating the program will have devastating consequences on the progress we need to make to end "doctor shopping" and aggressively shut down "pill mills."

The PDMP is a much-needed and necessary tool for law enforcement to effectively gather information on "doctor shopping" and implement integrated strategies on efforts to rid our communities of "pill mills." Without a central database of information, the law enforcement community is continuously playing catch up with the doctor shoppers and pill mills rather than getting ahead of them. The PDMP will provide the vital knowledge of where and how pill mills target our community and allow law enforcement to engage in more aggressive strategies to shut them down.

State leaders, especially Gov. Scott, should be alarmed when governors from across the country are begging Florida to continue the PDMP. To date, 42 states have passed a PDMP, and 38 have already implemented it. Pill mills have no boundaries, and they have become a real threat to individuals outside our own state. And we need to have a concerted effort among all states, including Florida, to effectively shut these "death clinics" down.

For Floridians, the PDMP will bring lifesaving efforts without a drain on taxpayers because the program is to be funded 100 percent through the private sector. In fact, the legislation prohibits any public funds to be used for the PDMP. And so far, the Office of Drug Control and the state's Department of Health have raised close to $500,000 to implement the program.

Losing seven Floridians each day to prescription drug overdose is an epidemic that our elected leaders must continue to tackle, because too many Floridians are senselessly losing their lives due to the explosion of pill mills. We believe Attorney General Pam Bondi, in her very short time in office, has already signaled her aggressive approach to this issue. We applaud her commitment to address this epidemic and ask that you ensure Attorney General Bondi has the tools, like the PDMP, to fight this vicious crisis.

On behalf of Floridians, we are pleading with Gov. Scott, Attorney General Bondi and legislative leaders not to sacrifice vital initiatives such as the PDMP in an effort to achieve a balanced budget. Too many lives are at risk, and the consequences are too great to eliminate the PDMP.